Iditarod Trail Invational 350 Mile Interview and Ben’s Skimo Tips

The picture below shows it all. With a pulk behind them and hundreds of miles of baren tundra in front of them, it takes a special type of athlete to line up at the Iditarod Trail Invitational. Alaskan transplant David Johnston has won the event six times in the last seven years, but this was Gavin Woody’s first attempt at the 350 mile distance. (There’s a shorter option, then there’s the 1,000 mile version.)

For 350 miles. Pic by Gavin Woody.

Six weeks prior to toeing the line at ITI, Gavin Woody ran the toughest ultramarathon in Europe….The 268 mile Spine Race in the UK. And two weeks prior to the start of the ITI, David Johnston ran—and won–the freezing cold Susitna 100 miler. At the end of the Iditarod Trail Invitational, both men finished together, tying for the top spot.

Gavin Woody David Johnston

This podcast episode is a recount of their preparation and a breakdown of their five days out on the tundra. For two guys who barely knew each other when the gun blew, they’ve developed a bond that few share. They talk about what they learned from watching an experienced competitor make a near fatal pacing mistake, and the joys and wonder of blue tarps and Budweiser.

Gear Talk with Ben

URP Gear Editor Ben Zuehlsdorf joins me at the end of the show to talk about his introduction to ski mountaineering/skimo. We talk where, why, and how to get into the sport, he fills me in on his gear choices, and he talks about how he thinks it’ll help his trail running. Below is his gear lineup:

I host and manage ultrarunnerpodcast.com, a site devoted to the Mountain/Ultra/Trail running world. We interview a wide range of athletes, conduct honest and extensive product reviews, and report on the daily happenings of the MUT scene.

"Iditarod Trail Invational 350 Mile Interview and Ben’s Skimo Tips"

[…] Check out our latest interview with Gavin Woody and Dave Johnston. After competing in some monster races in the weeks leading up to the 350 mile Iditarod Trail Invitational, these guys battled tough conditions to tie for the win. Lots of great lessons and stories. And at the end of the interview, I chat with Gear Guy Ben about his recent foray into ski mountaineering. […]